It does not take much for me to put up walls. When I was a young boy I used to help my father build walls in our yard. I would struggle to select a stone and carry it over to see if he could use it. We worked for hours; often with very little conversation. It was one of the few ways I felt close to him.

I am still building walls, but their intention is often to hold people off. The truth is that my walls do not protect me or ensure my safety, and I could easily end up walling myself into a prison of my own making. Some of my walls have been there a long time. They are encrusted with lichen, and not just adornment on my landscape. They have been there long enough to become my earth. And so it may take time to dismantle these walls. But stone by stone, they begin to slip off. I say let process continue. May my walls come tumbling down.